Golestan Kids

Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

Yalda — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:55:29 +0000

By Natalia joun.

Kids love this healthy dressing on salad and veggies.

INGREDIENTS:

½ cup high quality olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T orange juice

zest of 1 whole lemon

1 small garlic clove, minced

2 tsp maple syrup

3 T nutritional yeast

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp sea salt

few pinches of black pepper

optional: fresh thyme, oregano, rosemary and/or parsley

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk all ingredients together and coat desired salad greens. Spicy greens such as arugula, water cress and mustard greens pair well with this tangy dressing.

Moroccan Quinoa Pilaf with Saffron Yogurt Sauce

Yalda — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:38:24 +0000

(serves 4-6)

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups quinoa, rinsed

4 cups vegetable stock or meat based broth

1 tsp each; cumin, coriander, cardamom

2 tsp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Yogurt Sauce:

½ cup plain, full fat yogurt

2 T olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1 pinch saffron dissolved in 1 T warm stock or water

2 T honey

1 T balsamic vinegar

zest & juice of 1 meyer lemon

1 tsp sea salt

few pinches black pepper

1 cup each; fresh parsley & cilantro leaves, chopped

½ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

2 T fresh oregano, minced

¼ cup capers

½ cup currants, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes & drained

½ cup pine nuts, toasted & salted

DIRECTIONS:

1. To cook quinoa, bring stock/broth to a boil. Add the quinoa, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Add the dried spices, salt and pepper, and cook for about 20 minutes, or until liquid has been absorbed. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside to cool.

2. To make yogurt sauce, combine all the ingredients in a food processor (or whisk by hand) and blend thoroughly. Taste for flavor, adding more honey or olive oil if needed.

3. Add the fresh herbs, capers and currants to the bowl of quinoa. Add the yogurt sauce, and fold carefully as to not flatten the quinoa. Taste for flavor and garnish with pine nuts if desired. Serve warm or cold. *makes a great stuffing for dolmas or collard wraps!

Kale Chips

Yalda — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 18:46:12 +0000

Kale Chips

(makes 3 cups)

INGREDIENTS:

2 bunches dino kale (can substitute laccinato kale or collard greens)

¼ cup high quality olive oil

2 T balsamic vinegar

1 T honey

2 T nutritional yeast

1 tsp sea salt

pinch black pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

2. Remove the kale stems and rip leaves into 2” pieces.

3. In a small bowl whisk together remaining ingredients and massage into kale for a minute.

4. Lay kale chips onto baking sheet in an even layer and bake for about 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through. (longer baking time means extra crispy chips- just be careful as they can burn quickly!)

Serve warm and with fresh grated parmesan if desired

Mediterranean Whole Wheat Couscous Pilaf

Yalda — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:58:52 +0000

By our beloved chef, Natalia joun

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 c olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 tsp sea salt

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ T turmeric

2 T dried mint leaves

3 T Italian herb blend of parsley, oregano, marjoram & rosemary

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

pinch of cayenne

2 T capers, minced

¼ cup pitted black, unsulfured prunes chopped (may substitute apricots)

juice and zest of 1 large meyer lemon

¼ c sundried tomatoes (including their soaking oil in the jar), chopped

3 cups whole wheat couscous, rinsed

1 cup each; fresh cilantro and parsley leaves, minced

7 cups vegetable stock or chicken broth, preferably home made

more olive oil if needed

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a quart sized pot, heat olive oil on medium- high. Add onions and salt and sauté until onions are opaque, about 10 minutes. Onions will begin to brown and stick. Deglaze with a few spoonfuls of stock.

2. Add the dried spices/herbs and sauté for about 1 minute. Then add the capers, prunes, lemon juice/zest, sundried tomatoes and oil. Stir well to coat.

3. Add the couscous and a few generous pinches of salt. Coat the couscous well and allow it to toast for about 5 or 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Allow the bottom of the pot to brown.

4. Meanwhile, bring the stock/broth to a simmer in a separate pot. Add to the pot of couscous, stir once, and cover. Bring heat to a boil, then turn off and stir in fresh cilantro and parsley. Cover for about 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork. If all the liquid has not yet absorbed, cook on medium heat, uncovered until desired consistency. Stir with a fork, as it prevents clumping.

Can be served with crumbled feta or goat cheese, pickled red onion, as well as seeds or nuts if desired.

Ash-e Reshteh with Lentils, Pink Beans & Chickpeas

Yalda — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:56:39 +0000

By our beloved chef, Natalia joun

INGREDIENTS:

Unrefined coconut oil, 2 heaping Tablespoons, more as needed (may substitute olive oil)

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp sea salt, more as needed

2 large garlic cloves, minced

2 T dried dill

1 T dried turmeric

1 tsp each; marjoram, oregano and sage

1 pinch saffron

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more as needed

pinches of cinnamon, cardamom & cayenne

¼ cup vegetable stock, lemon juice or white wine (or a combination of the three)

4 c sorrel leaves, rinsed

2 cups each; fresh cilantro & parsley, rinsed

1 cup each; fresh mint & scallions/chives, rinsed

3 cups French green lentils, picked over and rinsed

4 cups chickpeas & pink beans, soaked & parboiled

1 quart of vegetable stock or chicken broth, more as needed

2 T balsamic vinegar (could use apple cider vinegar)

3 T fresh lime juice

2 T tamari

1 c coconut milk

½ c full fat yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large, heavy bottom soup pot, melt the coconut oil. Add onion and salt and sauté until onions are opaque, about ten minutes. Allow onions to brown.

2. Add another spoonful of coconut oil, along with all the dried spices/herbs and a few pinches of salt. Saute for a few minutes to toast the spices.

3. Add ¼ cup vegetable stock and stir in the fresh sorrel and herbs. Add the lentils and coat with mixture- allow to toast for about ten minutes, stirring every few minutes until the lentils have soaked up all the liquid and are beginning to brown.

Pour in vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add the vinegar, lime juice, tamari and coconut milk. Cover and simmer for about 2-3 hours or until lentils are fully cooked. You may need to add more stock/broth. Then stir in yogurt, cover and simmer on low for at least another half hour. Taste for seasoning, adding lemon or salt if needed

Chicken Artichoke Khoresh

Yalda — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:53:47 +0000

By our beloved chef, Natalia joun

INGREDIENTS:

High quality butter (unsalted), 2 Tablespoons

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp sea salt, more as needed

1 lb organic free-range chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry

¼ cup lemon juice or white wine (or a combination of the two)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pinch saffron

1 T dried turmeric

1 T dried mint

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more as needed

pinch of cayenne or chili powder

8 oz jar of sliced artichokes (in water)

2 cups each; fresh dill, cilantro & parsley

juice of 1 meyer lemon

3 cups c vegetable stock or chicken broth

1 c full fat yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the onion and salt. Saute until onions are opaque, about ten minutes.

2. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once chicken has browned, remove and allow to cool so that you to can de-bone and slice each piece into 1” chunks.

3. Meanwhile, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup lemon juice, then add garlic, all the dried spices/herbs as well as the artichokes. Stir well until there is no more liquid .

4. Add the fresh herbs and a few more pinches of salt. Toss in the diced chicken along with the lemon juice and stir well. Allow bottom of the pot to brown while you coat the chicken in the herb/spice mixture.

5. Bring heat to high and add the stock. Simmering for about ½ an hour, then turn to low and stir in yogurt. Simmer on medium low anywhere from ½ hr- 2 hrs.

Chicken Khoresh

Yalda — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 01:47:05 +0000

By our beloved chef, Natalia joun

INGREDIENTS:

High quality butter (unsalted), 2 Tablespoons

1 yellow onion, diced

2 tsp sea salt, more as needed

1 lb organic free-range chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry

¼ cup lemon juice or white wine (or a combination of the two)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 pinch saffron

1 T dried turmeric

1 T dried mint

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper, more as needed

pinch of cayenne or chili powder

2 cups each; fresh dill, cilantro & parsley

juice of 1 meyer lemon

3 cups c vegetable stock or chicken broth

1 c full fat yogurt

DIRECTIONS:

1. Melt butter in a large, heavy bottomed soup pot. Add the onion and salt. Saute until onions are opaque, about ten minutes.

2. Add chicken and brown on both sides. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Once chicken has browned, remove and allow to cool so that you to can de-bone and slice each piece into 1” chunks.

3. Meanwhile, deglaze the pot with 1/4 cup lemon juice, then add the garlic and all the dried spices/herbs. Stir well until there is no more liquid .

5. Bring heat to high and add the stock. Simmering for about ½ an hour, then turn to low and stir in yogurt. Simmer on medium low anywhere from ½ hr- 2 hrs.

Top 10 Reasons Your Children Aren’t Speaking Your Language

Yalda — Mon, 24 May 2010 17:24:49 +0000

A note from Yalda: though I am not a big proponent of screen-time for children (television, dvds, computers), I do think that in some situations, families will benefit from the use of media to support their efforts at home. Please note, I do strongly believe that children under the age of three should have no exposure to television and video programming.

May 18, 2010 By Corey Heller

Source: Multilingualliving.com

Wondering why your children aren’t speaking your language? It is hard to say why one child will gladly speak a second (and third and fourth) language while another will resist it. Below are the top 10 most likely reasons. Do some of these resonate with your multilingual family’s situation!

Let’s start the countdown…

10. Patience: Give it some time! You and your child both have to get used to this. Even if you are a native speaker of your child’s second language, it can take a while to figure things out. And once you are completely on board, take the journey one step at a time. Don’t rush your child, it will only make things worse. Remember, you are raising a multilingual child, not trying to win a race!

9. Comfort: Do you or your child feel uncomfortable speaking the language? Make sure you don’t embarrass your child by asking him/her to speak the language out loud in front of others or to use the language in uncomfortable situations. Start in the comfort of your own home and go from there. Sometimes it is the parent who is uncomfortable using a second language with his/her children, even if it is a native language. If this applies to you or your child, then talk about it as a family. Work out the areas which cause the most embarrassment or why it might feel uncomfortable.

8. Age: Our children go through phases in their lives. Their relationship with their second language will be experienced along these same patterns. If your child is going through a phase where he/she wants desperately to fit in at school, then rejecting a second language may be part of this process. Be gentle with your child and address language issues just as you would other changes in your child’s behavior. Try your best to find out how your child is feeling overall. If appropriate, talk with your child about how speaking the second language feels to your child. Work on finding a compromise so that both you and your child can feel good about speaking your language.

7. Resources: Does your child have a good source of language resources? I’m not talking about language-learning text books (unless your child gets a kick of them)! I’m talking about making sure your child has interesting books in only the second language. A good supply of DVDs, video and computer games, board games, etc. all in the second language can come in very handy as well. Without resources to keep their language stimulated, our multilingual children can easily get bored with what is available and will be more inclined to turn toward community language resources (which are so very plentiful!). Find out what interests your child the most and see if family can send over some specific materials – or perhaps you can order some online?

6. Not setting an example: What kind of example are you for your child? Are you using your language as much as possible or are you speaking the community language most of the time with your children (and not even realizing it!)? I can’t tell you the number of parents I talk with who insist that they speak their language with their children ALL the time. But when I visit these same parents, they spend the majority of the time speaking with their children in the community language without even realizing it! Believe me, it is very, very easy to fall into this pattern! You can solve this by (1) being very aware of when you are and are not speaking your language with your children and then (2) switching to your language each time you catch yourself speaking the community language. (3) Ask yourself why you tend to speak the community language with your children as much as you are. If you can find the sources for that question, then you are already one step further along the path toward solving it!

5. Teaching not Living: Raising a child in a second language is about living the language, not teaching it as if it were another subject in school! You need to live the language and impart that love of the language to your children through your way of life, not choice of language text books. This means speaking it as much as possible: while cooking, driving the car, picking up books at the library, going shopping. Make it part of every element of your every-day life. Make the language magical! Make it sparkle for your children by singing songs and doing dances from your culture, telling fairy tales you grew up with, and sharing stories about your childhood in your home country. Even if it isn’t your native language, you can find unique cultural and linguistic elements to bring into your lives.

4. Enjoyment:Is using a second language fun for your children or difficult and boring? Are you and your children enjoying using the second language or has it become drudgury? Make sure you are finding ways to make using the language a joy: play games in the language, chat about fascinating to pics, visit friends and places where the language is spoken. Don’t let yourself get to the point of drilling the language into your children’s heads. That is the best way to make your children hate the language. Many parents in my seminars have told me how their children started using their language after they got a game that was only in the second language. Not only did the game help encourage language use, it also brought the family together!

3. Consistency (not rigidity): Does your child know who speaks which language and when? Are you going back and forth, speaking different languages randomly? It isn’t the end of the world if you don’t have a perfectly consistent language pattern (and switching languages back and forth isn’t a crime) but a clear plan will make your language journey so much easier. Ultimately, your young child wants to please you and he/she can do this best if it is clear what is expected of him/her. If your child is confused or frustrated by not knowing what is expected, then it is very likely that he/she will simply stop speaking the language. But watch out! Don’t let your consistency plan turn into a rigidity plan! You need to make sure that your plan is serving you, not trapping you! You are allowed to change your plan whenever needed but if you do, make sure to meet as a family to decide on what the new plan will be. Then give the new plan some time to be fully implemented and assessed.

2. Need: Why should your child use his/her second language? If your child can get everything he/she needs via the community language, then there is really no NEED to use the second language. A need can come in the form of many different things: to play a game, to speak with others who only speak the second language (family, travel to another country), to understand a book or DVD in the second language, to get something that he/she wants. Some parents go as far as to refuse to answer their child unless the question comes in the second language. I never did this with my kids but for some families it works well. This is where you will have to be creative based on what resources you have available (Can you hire a nanny who only speaks the language? Can you travel to a country where the language is spoken?). Need can come in the form of that which is most familiar: a child often will speak the second language with parents simply out of habit (it would feel too strange if they didn’t)! Remember that each child is different so a need for one child may be very different for another. Get creative!

1. Not Enough Exposure: Are your children exposed to their second language a minimum of 30 percent of the time (on average)? Note that this is not a magical number. It will not guarantee multilingualism in your child! This is simply a general number which a group of researchers have come up with to determine what the minimum amount of language exposure appears to be to reach basic multilingualism. 50 percent? 80 percent? Wonderful! The chances are so much better for bi/multilingualism with exposure like that!
Use your common sense with this. If the spouse who speaks your child’s second language is working 40 hours a week, then it is going to be much more difficult for your children to receive enough exposure than if the native-speaking spouse is with the children all day. You may need to find additional ways that your child can receive language exposure to reach an average of 30 percent: a nanny, friends, family.
And remember, if your child receives less than 30 percent exposure, that is no reason to give up! Sometimes less exposure can have more of an impact than we know! Just allow yourself to adjust your expectations to match your family’s language journey and see where you can add more language exposure along the way. The gift of language is priceless, no matter how much language exposure your child receives!

These are just a few of the main obstacles to your child wanting to speak the second language. There are so many more! Please share your ideas and tips on getting your children to speak their second language! You are a wealth of valuable information, I can’t wait to hear!

What We Get When We Give

Yalda — Fri, 21 May 2010 16:52:36 +0000

By Christine Carter, PhD, February 18, 2010

If you do a nice thing for someone else knowing you’ll reap some benefit yourself, is it still a good deed? What if your primary reason for doing it is because of the benefits it’ll bring you?

Researchers spend a lot of time debating whether any altruistic act is ever truly selfless because we benefit so much when we are kind to others. I think of kindness like laughter: we might be laughing because we want someone else to feel good about their joke, but mostly we laugh because it feels good. Like laughter, kindness is a terrific happiness habit, good for both our physical and emotional well-being.

Did you know that kinder people actually live longer, healthier lives? People who volunteer tend to experience fewer aches and pains. Giving help to others protects overall health twice as much as aspirin protects against heart disease. People 55 and older who volunteer for two or more organizations have an impressive 44 percent lower likelihood of dying—and that’s after sifting out every other contributing factor, including physical health, exercise, gender, habits like smoking, marital status, and many more. This is a stronger effect than exercising four times a week or going to church; it means that volunteering is nearly as beneficial to our health as quitting smoking!

We feel so good when we give because we get what researchers call a “helpers high,” or a distinct physical sensation associated with helping. About half of participants in one study report that they feel stronger and more energetic after helping others; many also reported feeling calmer and less depressed, with increased feelings of self-worth. This is probably a literal “high,” similar to a drug-induced high: for example, the act of making a financial donation triggers the reward center in our brains that is responsible for dopamine-mediated euphoria. (For more on the “helper’s high,” check out this essay by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander, published this month on Greater Good.)

Finally, nearest and dearest to my heart, kindness makes us happy. Volunteer work substantially reduces symptoms of depression; both helping others and receiving help is associated with lowered anxiety and depression.

This may be especially true for kids. Adolescents who identify their primary motive as helping others are three times happier than those who lack such altruistic motivation. Similarly, teens who are giving are also happier and more active, involved, excited, and engaged than their less engaged counterparts. Generous behavior reduces adolescent depression and suicide risk, and several studies have shown that teenagers who volunteer are less likely to fail a subject in school, get pregnant, or abuse substances. Teens who volunteer also tend to be more socially competent and have higher self-esteem.

It isn’t just that kind people also tend to be healthier and happier, or that happy, healthy people are more kind. Experiments have actually demonstrated again and again that kindness toward others actually causes us to be happier, improves our health, and lengthens our lives.

So if we want to raise kids that are happy and healthy, one of the best things we can do is teach them to be kind. Next week I’ll be giving some tips for HOW to raise kind children, but for starters, we need to think about kindness and generosity as a skill that we teach kids, and practice with them.

What do your kids do to practice kindness? How have you encouraged kindness, generosity, and altruism in your children? Please post your ideas in the comments and I’ll incorporate as many as I can into next week’s posting.

Source: Greater Good Magazine, a personal favorite of mine! y

Positive discipline

Yalda — Thu, 13 May 2010 17:52:25 +0000

How do we ensure that we are not inadvertantly squashing our children’s self esteem with our methods of discipline? Below is a link to a good resource for how to use positive discipline techniques to help your child(ren) understand the consequences of negative behavior while builing self-esteem.

- yalda

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By the Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education

How do young children learn self-control, self-help, ways to get along with others, and family and school procedures? Such learning occurs when parents and teachers of infants, toddlers, or preschoolers are continuously involved in setting limits, encouraging desired behaviors, and making decisions about managing children.

When making these decisions, caregivers often ask themselves these questions: Am I disciplining in a way that hurts or helps this child’s self-esteem? Will my discipline help the child develop self-control?

Click here to read methods and language that can be used in handling common situations involving young children.